LOS ANGELES — Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers did not go easily, but their hopes of staging one of the greatest comebacks in Stanley Cup Final history ended Friday night after another third-period blitz and some grit in two overtime periods from the Los Angeles Kings.

ll the Rangers desired was a sixth game back home in New York, but that will not happen as the Kings captured their second Cup in three years when defenseman Alec Martinez scored at 14:43 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Kings victory in Game 5 at Staples Center.

Martinez, who also scored the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals, became the first player since Bobby Nystrom of the Islanders in 1980 to score a Cup-winning goal in OT.

The loss ended a streak of five straight wins for goalie Henrik Lundqvist while facing elimination in the 2014 playoffs, even though he stopped 48 shots.

“I knew going into this series it would end in tears. Tears of joy or tears of heartbreak and right now it’s extremely tough,” Lundqvist said. “When you play a game like this you just hope for some guy to score that big goal for us and take it back to New York.”

“Any loss in the Stanley Cup Final is going to be a real tough loss. We tried our best. Everybody laid it out there,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “I'm very proud of our group, very proud of their effort.”

Defenseman Dan Girardi was among those players who thought all three games in L.A. could have gone the other way. Games 2 and 5 both went to double OT.

“I still look at all three games in this building. We could’ve won all three,” the goalie said. “I think we hit the post in every OT, but that’s how it goes. They were good. They have a lot of good players that stepped up in key moments throughout the series, so you have to give it to them.”

The Rangers brought a 2-1 lead into the third period via a shorthanded goal from Brian Boyle with 29.6 seconds remaining in the second. It came on a perfect shot from the center into the top right-hand corner of the net.

But the Kings pressured Lundqvist in the third, outshooting the Rangers by a 12-3 margin. He stopped a Willie Mitchell shot and then robbed Dustin Brown on the rebound with 12:55 left in regulation.

Lundqvist robbed Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin with a glove save at 7:28 of the third period.

Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello was called for tripping Muzzin at the left point at 7:39 and it was costly.

Marian Gaborik scored in a rebound of a Drew Doughty shot at 7:56 to tie it, 2-2. It was Gaborik's 14th goal of the postseason, one short of Wayne Gretzky’s Kings record for one playoff year.

“We played some good hockey at times,” Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “We found ways to lose leads and you can’t do that. They’re relentless. You have to maintain your focus every second out there.”

In the first overtime, McDonagh's shot at 4:42 hit the right post during a Rangers' power play.

Chris Kreider had a breakaway but was stopped by Jonathan Quick with 32 seconds left.

Girardi's shot during the Rangers' power play at 7:11 of the second overtime was tipped by Mats Zuccarello and hit the left post.

“You tried not to get frustrated when you saw replays of pucks going through (Quick’s) arms and hitting the post twice, I think, in OT,” Lundqvist said. “Just knowing how close we were…”

Rick Nash (no points in the Final) had an open net from the right circle at 9:16 but his shot was deflected over the crossbar when it hit the shaft of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov's stick.

It was Williams, who scored nine goals in the playoffs, who gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 6:04 into the game.

The Rangers scored twice in a span of 3:53 to take the lead in the second period. Cruder scored on the power play and Brian Boyle made a perfect shot for a shorthanded goal with 29.6 seconds left in the second.

But the Kings got Gaborik’s power play goal and then the winner from Martinez.

“Tonight is not a night to reminisce, but there will be a time this summer to look back at what an amazing run it was. It was t be amazing to get this far,” Rangers winger Brad Richards said. “A lot of things have to come together as a group.

“No one will ever know except for us how fun it was and how we came together. When you lose three games in overtime in a Final it’s hard to explain.”

Lundqvist could not explain it.

“I told you going into these playoffs I want to leave everything out there. I prepared so hard for every game in these playoffs,” Lundqvist said. “I’ve never been so tired after a run like this. It is a long run, a lot of intense games, but I feel like I did everything I could to prepare and get to where I need to be to try to help the team. It was not enough against that team.”

It was, he agreed, like hitting a wall at the end of a brilliant run.

“You have to go through a lot to get here. No question,” Lundqvist said. “It’s been a long year with the Olympics, too, and the long training camp we had and starting on the road. It feels like it’s been a challenging year but a fun year.

“We came up short here against a really good team. I think they played really well. They’re so balanced and it seems like nothing really rattles them. You have to give them credit.”